Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech said that he has not asked any electoral candidates to leave the party or not to contest the upcoming general election.

He made this statement while maintaining that he wanted new faces and a youthful element in his administration.

Grech was speaking during a visit to the offices of The Malta Independent on Tuesday afternoon.

Clyde Puli, Mario Galea, Kristy Debono and Claudio Grech have all confirmed that they will not contest.

Asked about speculation that three of them were pushed aside as they backed Delia in the past, Grech outright denied it.

He said that Kristy Debono, for instance, was given an important role under his leadership as spokesperson for the economy.

Grech had said that she felt she did not want to continue in politics for personal reasons. In two of the letters he received from the MPs choosing not to contest, he said, "they clearly wrote, that in politics you need to know when it is time to stop."

"I have not asked anyone to leave, as I don't believe in breaking people. I believe and want everyone who takes a step back to still keep working with us."

Grech said that whoever has been asked to set themselves aside for newer faces in the party in the past, he had done so with respect, and they are still contributing to the party as candidates or fulfilling other roles. As an example, he mentioned former President of the PN's Executive Committee Alex Perici Calascione and former Secretary General Francis Zammit Dimech.

Asked about the contradiction that younger MPs are withdrawing from the election whilst some of the more experienced ones have remained in the party, Grech replied that it is up to the public to decide who they want in the party, and if they vote for the older, experienced candidates, then he himself has the duty to work with them.

Grech also spoke about the cost of living.

Grech said that he feels as though the public is being exploited, as they are not receiving higher wages. The PN's electoral campaign focuses on several social aspects, which aim to address the cost of living issue, where families have not been able to cope with the increase in prices, Grech said. He questioned as to how jobs will attract people if they are 'being paid peanuts.'

He also described the government's pledge to award €1,000 a year to first time buyers of property for the first 10 years, arguing that this is something that 'only sounds attractive,' as owners will then consequently raise property prices in light of this initiative.

Grech also said that there is a pending debt problem in the country, which he described as having doubled over the years.

"The government has spent €2.5 million on billboards which were supposed to be for the Malta Film Awards, but they ended up becoming billboards of the forthcoming election," he said, commenting that the government has been wasting money. He said that the government has a responsibility to address this issue, or else there will be a decline in jobs.

He addressed the issue of women in politics.  "We must create a better support network for these women so that they can enter politics, and ultimately stay in politics," Grech said.

Grech also insisted that entities must work better, favouring the people and not the government. As an example, he spoke of the Police Commissioner not confirming that the drone sent to his house was not one owned by the Planning Authority.

As for his views on controversial subjects such as abortion and euthanasia, Grech said that the PN will address the country's most imminent social issues, maintaining that one of the principal values of the party is that it values human life from conception. He added that the party will also not condemn or 'hurt' alternative opinions on the matter.

Grech insisted that journalism is an important pillar of society, especially independent journalism. He added that he has no problems answering any questions, "unlike Prime Minister Robert Abela."

"The government voted against the bill concerning the protection for journalists as it does not believe in free journalism, and it does not truly believe in democracy," Grech said, referring to a number of bills that the PN had presented, adding that Abela avoids meeting with journalists for interviews.